FAQs

Online students will still be required to attend a 3 day in-person intensive to begin each semester. Following the intensive, all learning is done online via our online Learning Management System, Canvas. All online classes allow students to continue their learning, collaboration, and discussions that they began at the intensives.

This program follows a semester format. You can find important dates and deadlines for each semester on the Academic Calendar.

Students following the hybrid option meet in person at CIIS four weekends each semester with the rest of the coursework conducted online.

All additional learning is done online via our online Learning Management System, Canvas. All online classes allow students to continue their learning, collaboration, and discussions that they began at the intensives.

The online classes are asynchronous, so they do not meet in real time. Asynchronous classes offer students the flexibility to study in a self-paced manner. While most asynchronous classes still have submission deadlines, students can connect with materials, peers, and instructors on their own schedules within the parameters of the instructor's syllabus. In most cases, this means that course activities and assignments can be completed at any time during a given week of the course, rather than at a specific class meeting time.

Online courses at CIIS are delivered through the school’s learning management system, Canvas. Course menus in Canvas usually feature links to the syllabus and course content like lecture materials, readings, documents, websites, discussion forums, and other learning tools. Throughout the semester, instructors post assignment grades to the Gradebook in Canvas.

Instructors may occasionally hold a synchronous session held virtually during the semester and is conducted over an online platform such as Zoom or BigBlueButton.

Yes, a student that wishes to request a disability-related accommodation in order to attain their education at the school, including any specific accommodation to participate in the online learning environment, may submit a request for the accommodation to Student Disability Services at sds@ciis.edu.

The Office of Student Affairs will investigate the feasibility of providing the requested accommodation(s) for the student and will require the student to provide documentation of disability status.

All reasonable attempts will be made to address a request to accommodate a recognized disability to support the requesting student’s ability to attain education at the school.

Hardware:

• Computer with fast processing speeds with at least 4 GB of memory, 128 GB of storage
• Reliable high speed internet connection
• The most recent browser release (Chrome and Firefox are recommended)
• Headset and microphone
• Webcam

Skills:

• Basic computer skills
• Ability to use email
• Ability to use Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc.
• Search engine skills
• Ability to attach and upload documents and materials

The Office of Student Affairs will investigate the feasibility of providing the requested accommodation(s) for the student and will require the student to provide documentation of disability status.

All reasonable attempts will be made to address a request to accommodate a recognized disability to support the requesting student’s ability to attain education at the school.

The minimum number of transferable units required to enter the program is 54 units.* CIIS accepts a maximum number of 84 transferable units, with up to 75 in the lower division and up to 40 in one subject area.

Within the limits cited above, we accept as transfer credit:

• Work in college level classes completed at regionally accredited institutions of higher learning in the U.S. and Canada or from other foreign institutions provided that acceptable documentation and evaluation demonstrates that these institutions and their courses are equivalent to regionally accredited institutions. International applicants must submit foreign transcripts to a foreign credential evaluation service for a "course by course" evaluation. CIIS accepts evaluations completed by the World Education Service (WES) and J. Silny & Associates, as well as from current members of the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES).
• Documented military training, granting credit based on the American Council on Education (ACE) guidelines.
• Test results from the College Level Examination Program (CLEP), Advanced Placement Exams, and Excelsior College Exams (ECE) may provide a student with a total maximum of 30 units. The CLEP exam is administered by the College Board, a non-profit organization which is known for its SAT, PSAT, and Advanced Placement programs. Applicants must provide the Institute with official test results.

Further criteria for transferable credit include:

• College Level Work: Courses must be college level. This means that courses that are developmental or college-preparatory will not transfer. Graduate level courses may be accepted as transfer credit; students should understand, however, that credit can be counted towards only one degree and that graduate credit applied to an undergraduate degree cannot then be applied again for a graduate degree. Associate of Arts (AA) credits are acceptable except for developmental or college-preparatory courses.
• Grade Criteria: Students must have earned passing credit or a grade of C or better. Coursework marked by a grade of D, D-, F, or NP (No Pass) or incomplete work is not transferable.
• Physical Education: CIIS does not accept physical education credit except in specifically defined areas: dance, yoga, and some forms of martial art.
• Double Credit: Students cannot receive credit twice for the same course of study. This is most easily determined when courses are standardized mainstream college curricula and bear comparable or identical names. It may be less easy to determine in other circumstances. More specific courses, for example, "Modern European Art," are considered as fully separate from survey courses, such as, "Western Art Through The Ages," even though there may be some duplication of material. In certain cases, course descriptions may need to be procured to determine content overlap.
• Extension Credit: CIIS accepts a maximum of 12 units completed in university extension programs for professional development. These units are reviewed on a case by case basis. Students should be aware that there is no guarantee that these units will be accepted. Please note that Continuing Education Units (CEU) units are not transferable.

You can submit your transcript(s) to our admission counselor, Desiree Murillo, for review. These do not need to be official transcripts, but students will need to submit official transcripts with their application.

Yes, as long as they meet the criteria listed above and you can present an official transcript. The institution(s) you attended may need some extra time to retrieve your records, but the credits you earned do not expire.

No, students can meet their GE units while in the program, including the math GE requirement.

The exact length depends on a student's number of transfer units and what workload a student wants to carry per semester, which typically ranges between 12-15 units per semester. Most students will complete the program in 3 semesters, with some needing 4 semesters. To graduate, a student must earn 120 units and complete the core curriculum, as well as all general education requirements (if these haven't been met prior to entry into the program).

While full-time study is preferable, part-time study is possible. To fully understand the implications of less than full-time enrollment, contact our admission counselor, Desiree Murillo.

All online courses in the Bachelor of Science in Psychology degree completion program require a substantial amount of student involvement. Although there is some flexibility in schedule, online classes are not self-paced and have frequent due dates.

Instructors’ expectations of student online participation in classes are outlined in their individual syllabuses.

However, every student is different and the amount of time they will spend on reading, writing, preparing, and working on projects may differ. A good rule of thumb, however, is to plan for 2 hours per week of preparation and study time for each unit of credit (in addition to time spent in the online classes).

For example, if a student takes only the core curriculum of 12 units, they can expect to spend (12 x 2 =) 24 hours per week on coursework. Similarly, if a student takes the core curriculum, as well as another 3-unit class, they can expect to spend (15 x 2 =) 30 hours per week on coursework.

Please consult the Tuition and Fees page for the current rates and connect with the Financial Aid Office for more information on what financial aid is available to you.

Applications are accepted for a fall and spring semester start.

We recommend that students attend an info session and/or admission open house to learn more about our program. When you are ready, submit a complete application.